Lea faka-Tonga

Teaching and learning Tongan

Ko e Fakahinohino ki he Lea Faka-Tonga: The Tongan Language Guidelines is a welcome addition to the suite of language guidelines supporting the Learning Languages area of The New Zealand Curriculum.

The development of guidelines designed to support the teaching and learning of the Tongan language in New Zealand schools began in 2004. This work was strengthened and supported by close collaboration with Tongan people, and in 2007 the Ministry published Tongan in the New Zealand Curriculum. Ko e Fakahinohino ki he Lea Faka-Tonga: The Tongan Language Guidelines is the updated version of the 2007 Tongan language guidelines.

The early childhood section of these guidelines is aligned with Te Whāriki: He Whāriki Mātauranga mo ngā Mokopuna o Aotearoa/Early Childhood Curriculum. The section for schools is aligned with The New Zealand Curriculum for English-medium Teaching and Learning in Years 1–13.

Lea faka-Tonga achievement standardsLea faka-Tonga achievement standards and associated resources are available for schools to use at NCEA levels 1, 2, and 3. Read more about the achievement standards for lea faka-Tonga
here.

Learning Languages Series

Explore Faufaua! An Introduction to Tongan. This new multi-media resource supports the teaching and learning of lea faka-Tonga as an additional language at years 7 and 8, providing a language-teaching programme that can be used by all teachers, including those who do not speak lea faka-Tonga or know how to teach languages.

Faufaua! is a resource in the Learning Languages Series. It Faufaua! includes:

twenty units of three lessons each

a range of language suitable for years 7–10 at levels 1 and 2 of the curriculum

video and audio support to engage learners and demonstrate how fluent speakers use the language

lesson plans that could be used to encourage learners to enjoy reading lea faka-Tonga texts.

Six storybooks support the Learning Languages Series resource Faufaua! An Introduction to Tongan. Each story gives students opportunities to extend their language and cultural knowledge and to practise reading the target language in Faufaua!

Unfortunately, hard copy versions of Faufaua are out of print, but the Ko e Fakahinohino ki he Lea Faka-Tonga: The Tongan Language Guidelinesare still available. Email
orders@thechair.minedu.govt.nz or phone 0800 226 440.